After Her Passing
by Donna Lynn
Summary: After Willow comes to LA to tell Angel, Cordelia and Wesley of Buffy's death. Cordelia has a vision and speaks with Buffy about her and Angel's destinies.


**After Her Passing**  
**Author: **Donna Lynn  
**Status:** Complete  
**Word Count:** 2,103  
**Rated:** R  
**Content Warning:** This story contains language and the subject of death.  
**Summary:** After Willow comes to LA to tell Angel, Cordelia and Wesley of Buffy's death. Cordelia has a vision and speaks with Buffy about her and Angel's destinies.  
**Pairing:** Angel/Cordelia

**Author's Note:** _I had to get this off my chest. I know there have been stories about this a hundred times._

* * *

"Can I say it I want to say it," Angel said running past everyone to open the doors to the hotel. "There's no place like…" Angel trailed off as he saw Willow sitting on the couch across the lobby. "...Willow," he said concerned.

Cordelia came in behind Angel along with everyone else and saw Willow. "What's…" Cordelia trailed off seeing the look on Willow's face.

Willow stood from the couch and looked at Angel and Cordelia.

"It's Buffy," Angel said with a whisper and a look of worry on his face.

Willow looked down at her hands for a moment then looked up with tears about to spill, "I'm sorry to have to say this, but…" Willow couldn't finish her statement because she began to cry.

"No…" Cordelia said stepping down the stairs to stand beside Angel.

Willow began to cry harder and Angel knew what had happened. Buffy had died.

"No…it can't be…please Willow…please don't," Angel's voice began to crack from the tears that began to rise in his throat.

"No it can't be," Cordelia said barely above a whisper.

"She…sacrificed herself…for us…for Dawn," Willow said trying to speak through the tears.

Angel shook his head in denial. "No, she's not…dead. No, I don't except that," Angel said about to cry.

"I'm so sorry Angel," Willow said crying.

Cordelia stood in shock as the news hit her fully. Buffy was dead. She never flinched when Angel picked up a chair and flung it across the room.

"NO!" Angel yelled as he sank to his knees.

Wesley and Gunn stood at the stairs behind them. "Oh my God," Wesley said sitting on the stairs.

Gunn stood in shock as well. He had never met the slayer. He didn't know how to comfort them. He though he should just leave. He leaned down and put his hand on Wesley's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry for everyone's loss. If you guys need anything…don't hesitate to call me." Then he turned and quietly walked out.

Wesley stood in shock as Angel, Cordelia and Willow stood or sat in shock. Willow finally calmed down enough to explain what happened.

"Dawn had been kidnapped by Glory to use her for opening all dimensions at once. When we got there the ritual had already began, and Dawn had already been bled. The only way to stop all dimensions from opening was to stop the blood," Willow tried to explain.

"Buffy wasn't the key," Angel said standing with a bit of anger in his voice.

"She was in a way…when the monks had made Dawn into a human being they made her out of Buffy. They used Buffy's blood to make her therefor her blood and Dawn's blood was the only thing that could stop the gates from opening," Willow said about to cry.

"She sacrificed herself," Wesley said lowly.

Cordelia by now was sitting on the stairs staring off into the distance. It looked as if she weren't even paying any attention to the conversation.

"I think in a way Buffy knew she was going to die. A couple of weeks ago she had gone on sort of a vision quest. She spoke with the spirit of the first slayer. She told her that death was her gift," Willow said.

"Meaning that her gift was to sacrifice herself for the world or more," Angel said.

"It took her a little longer to figure it out though," Willow said. Willow looked over at Cordelia and noticed her blank stare. "Cordelia?"

Angel turned and looked at her. She didn't have an expression at all, and that confused him.

"Cordelia?" Wesley said looking at her intently.

Angel slowly walked over to her and bent down in front of her and took her hand. "Cordelia?" This made her look up into Angel's eyes. What he saw shocked him. She had tears in her eyes. She looked as if she were about to ball. He didn't quit understand it. He knew since she had moved to LA that she had matured, but she and Buffy never really got along. It confused him that she would be so emotional about it.

"I'm so sorry," Cordelia whispered to Angel to where Wesley and Willow didn't hear her.

"For what?" Angel asked confused.

"I didn't see it coming," Cordelia said about to cry. Realization dawned on Angel. "Why didn't I have a vision about this God Glory and Dawn and everything. If I had had a vision we could have helped and maybe saved Buffy and Dawn's life, but…now it's to late. Now you don't have her anymore," Cordelia said crashing into Angel's arms crying hysterically.

Angel held her in shock. Willow had stopped crying and Wesley stared in awe.

"I'm so sorry Angel!" she practically screamed.

Angel could not speak. He just continued to hold her hoping his comfort would give her comfort.

* * *

"Thank you for coming by and telling us Willow," Angel said as he walked Willow to the bus station.

"Yeah, I thought I should come in person and tell you rather than call. But believe me I was tempted to just call," Willow said with a slight smile.

"I'm glad you came even though it was under such grim circumstances," he said.

Willow nodded. They continued to walk in silence until she reached her bus and she turned to say goodbye. "Well, I guess this goodbye," she said.

"For a little while," he said.

"Do you think Cordelia's gonna be okay? I've never seen her like that before," Willow said in shock and worry.

Angel looked to the ground for a moment. "Cordelia has changed in the past two years. She cares about things that she would've never even thought of back in Sunnydale," Angel said.

"She cares about you a lot," Willow said.

"As I do her," Angel said.

"You guys take care of each other," Willow said giving him a hug.

Angel hugged her to him tightly for it was probably the last time he'd see her for a while. They separated and she got onto the bus and took her seat. The bus began to pull away and Angel watched it until he could no longer see it.

* * *

Angel walked into the hotel and saw Wesley and Gunn sitting at the counter. "How is she?" Angel asked putting his coat on the rack.

"She's sleeping last time we checked," Gunn said.

Angel started his way up the stairs to his bedroom where she was sleeping. Once to the door he carefully opened it so as not to disturb her. He stepped into the room and closed to the door quietly then looked to her on the bed. She had her back to the door and by the sound of her breathing and her heartbeat she was sleeping soundly.

Suddenly, she jerked in her sleep and moaned in pain lowly. Angel slowly walked over to the other side of the bed and sat on the floor and watched her sleep.

"Hi Cordelia," Buffy said smiling.

Cordelia looked around herself at the beach she was at. She looked out to the west where the sun was beginning to set. "Where are we?" Cordelia asked.

"We're in between seconds," Buffy said putting her hands behind her back.

Cordelia finally looked at her. She was dressed in an all white sundress. Her golden blonde hair was down and blowing in the wind. Cordelia looked down at herself and she was wearing the same thing, but her hair was longer.

"Cordelia we don't have much time," Buffy said getting her attention.

"What do you mean?" Cordelia said.

"It's not your fault. The Powers That Be didn't want you to know for a reason. It was my duty to save the world it was my destiny and fate," Buffy said trying to explain to Cordelia.

"I just don't understand why after all the times you did save the world they would make you make a decision like that," Cordelia said.

"Our lives are ruled by fate and destiny Cordelia. Yours, mine, Angel's and everyone we know and with my passing…fate and destiny has taken a turn for you… and Angel," Buffy said.

"Taken a turn how?" Cordelia asked worried.

"Angel is saving people's lives in LA for redemption, and along with that you help him with your visions by…fate and destiny. Your destinies intertwine with each other. In time you will see how," Buffy said then turned and began to walk away.

"Wait! Buffy!" Cordelia said going after her.

Buffy turned and smiled, "There's no need to apologize Cordelia. Just do me one favor…take care of Angel for me. You're the only thing he has left in the world. He cares about you a lot…he loves you."

"Ever since we've accidentally moved to LA we've been taking care of each other," Cordelia said smiling.

"The two of you meeting in LA wasn't accidental Cordelia. It was destiny. Maybe it was something greater than him, and me," Buffy said.

"I don't understand," Cordelia said.

"Angel would never had left Sunnydale if we had never fell in love. Therefor, you would never have been his Seer. Meaning, Angel's relationship and mine was a step to yours and his destiny," Buffy said.

Cordelia was speechless, "I'm still sorry."

Buffy shook her head, "You are his destiny Cordelia…not me. I was just a stepping stone. I'll never regret what we had, and neither will he. Tell him I love him."

"Buffy I…" Cordelia said feeling bad.

"It's time to go Cordelia," Buffy said.

Then suddenly Cordelia was awake and yelling Buffy's name. "Buffy!" Cordelia yelled sitting up in bed.

"Cordelia it's okay," Angel said grabbing her gently by the shoulders.

Cordelia looked frantically around the room and said, "Where is she?"

"Where's who Cordelia?" Angel asked afraid he had heard her wrong.

"Buffy I…was just talking to her," Cordelia said wiping her forehead off.

"Cordelia you were dreaming," Angel said softly.

"No Angel you don't understand I was talking to Buffy like you and I are talking. She told me things," she said trying to explain what she had saw.

"You saw Buffy?" he asked hopefully.

"She told me to tell you she loved you," Cordelia said lowly.

Angel thought for a moment. "She must have spoke to you through a vision. Just before you woke up you moved in pain in your sleep like you were having a vision, but I assumed it was a nightmare," he said quietly.

They were both silent for a moment then she spoke, "Please don't hate me Angel."

Angel looked up into her face and said, "Cordelia I could never hate you. It's not your fault what happened to Buffy."

"That's what she said," Cordelia said.

"What did she say?" Angel asked eagerly.

Cordelia stared off into the distance for a moment then spoke softly, "That it was fate and destiny. Fate and destiny run our lives. Yours everyone and mine we know. That our two destinies lie together."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Cordelia chuckled a little and said, "That's what I asked when she said it. She said it was fate and destiny that she died and I'm your Seer and that you're in LA. It all comes together."

"It was my destiny to leave her," Angel said more than asked.

Cordelia just looked at him with a caring face. "It wasn't an accident we met and came to LA at the same time Angel. I realize that know. There were so many things that were stepping-stones to this very moment. Even though they were painful stepping-stones," she said.

"Do you regret any of it?" he asked.

"No! Absolutely not. I actually have a purpose in life that's big. I love what I do. I love helping the people we help everyday and I love helping you Angel," she said caressing the side of his face.

"I'm glad you're here Cordelia. A lot of time I don't know what I would do without you. Those few weeks we were all separated. I wasn't whole. You complete me Cordelia. You make me a whole person, and you keep me honest and true to my friends and duty," he said taking her hand from his face and squeezing it.

"I know," she said knowingly. "She asked me to take care of you that we cared a lot for each other. She's right…we do," she said on a lower tone.

They sat in silence taking the in the aftermath of Buffy's passing and the meaning.

**In Memory of Buffy Anne Summers**

**The Vampire Slayer and Chosen One**

**We will miss you dearly**

**1997-2001**

**THE END**


End file.
